Battery life while not in use

Just wanting to get the whole pressent shopping hassle out of the way, I purchased an iPad as a gift a little ahead of time - it's just sitting there on my shelf and won't be opened for another month and a half.

My question is, is the battery OK just sitting there idle, or does it degrade over time without use?

Because, the other option is to open it up and pre-load some apps I know the intended recipient will appreciate (and to have a little play) . But only if leaving it alone for 6 weeks is detrimental to it.

Some computer (and other tech-related) manufacturers suggest charging the battery frequently even if the device is not in use. I'm pretty convinced that the same applies with iPad. You don't have to charge it every week if you don't use it, but it would be good to charge it every ~45-60 days in order to preserve the battery.